Fundamental Constants: Basic Physics and Units

670. WE-Heraeus-Seminar

14 May - 18 May 2018

Where:

Physikzentrum Bad Honnef

Scientific organizers:

Prof. K. Blaum, MPI-K Heidelberg • Prof. D. Budker, U Mainz • Prof. A. Surzhykov PTB Braunschweig

The goal of the seminar is to bring together experts who share their interest in physics of fundamental constants. During the workshop we will consider the questions of a definition of fundamental constants, relation of these constants with physical laws, and of their minimal set. Together with discussion of basic ideas and theories, emphasis will be also placed on the high-precision experiments aiming determination of the fundamental constants. The impact of this experimental data for metrology applications as well as for our understanding of Nature will be also in the focus of discussions.

Topics covered in the seminar include the following questions:

  • What are fundamental constants? How many of those do we need?
  • Are fundamental constants varying in space and time?
  • What are current best values of fundamental constants? How are they measured?
  • How we can use future atomic and nuclear clocks to re-define the second?
  • How violations of symmetries of Nature are related to the variation of fundamental constants?
  • What are new data about the proton radius and how do they impact the values of fundamental constants?

The ceremony for awarding the prestigious Helmholtz Prize in 2018 will be part of the Heraeus-Seminar. It is dedicated for outstanding scientific achievements in the field of "Precision Measurements in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine". Established in 1973, this prize is considered as the most prestigious one in the field of precision measurements and, since 2015, comes in two categories namely "fundamental principles" and "applications".

The conference language will be English. Please note that the total number of participants is limited. The organizers invite PhD students to apply and to contribute to the poster session. Female researchers are particularly encouraged, since the WE-Heraeus Foundation seeks to support women in science.